Written on
November 20, 2008 by
SusanC
This week’s Recycled Note Of The Week comes from Anna Ruby King’s Etsy shop.
Smaller than your average note, these Coldgull Note Cards are comprised entirely of offcuts of other cards, and are 100% recycled.
Use them as thoughtful notes in school lunchboxes, as non-traditional flashcards, thank-you notes, or, as the seller suggests, “They are perfect…just to say ‘Good morning honey, can you please take out the rubbish with you when you go to work.'”
She also has these adorable handmade gift cards in a larger size, featuring re-purposed fabric and hand drawn details:
The cards themselves are 75 and 100% recycled, made primarily of post-consumer recycled content.
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After my son’s first surgery in January, I stepped back and took a good long look at all facets of my life, which resulted in an epiphany of sorts. Days later I quit my job and started my own eco-friendly business to devote more time to my kids.
Once I walked away from the rat race my creativity soared and I started to invest more time researching how to be more environmentally conscious. I took the next step. And then another, and another, until I was making as many improvements in our daily lives as I was to our home.
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With the turn of the seasons and the cold weather, you might be looking to buy your children new pajamas. Or, if you are like me, new pajamas are given the night we decorate the tree.
But if you are concerned about being green and your child’s exposure to toxic chemicals, you might be wondering whether those new pajamas have been treated with flame retardants? And does it matter?
Whether or not it matters is a decision you’ll have to make yourself.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) considers chemically treated pajamas safe. In the 1970s, it banned brominated Tris and removed chlorinated Tris from being used on children’s pajamas after they were found to mutate DNA and identified as probable human carcinogens.
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For many people, Christmas has become a very commercial holiday. It has shifted from being a season of giving, to being a media circus and it has become a season of excess. This year tailor your shopping to be a bit more responsible and ethical in the items that you buy.
Shopping conscientiously doesn’t stop at being more frugal when making purchase decisions. We also need to think of the global implication. Every purchase we make is essentially a vote for the world we want. We need to look at the people behind the products that we invest our monies with.
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Written on
November 13, 2008 by
SusanC
Christmas is Not Your Birthday is an initiative started by the brains behind CoolPeopleCare.org, in an attempt to redirect the typical holiday hub-bub and excessive consumerism surrounding the holiday season with local outreach, outward thinking, and overall giving.
In 2006 they asked readers from all over the world to simply think outside of themselves, and outside their needs and wants, for that particular holiday season. In 2007 they asked everyone to buy gifts for their friends and family that made a difference to the local and global community, to commit to buying better gifts, purchases that gave back in some way.
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One of the biggest misconceptions that people have about living simple or living in a frugal manner is that it means great personal sacrifice.
Yet the idea behind simple living, or voluntary simplicity as it is also called, is not to live as cheaply as possible, but instead to see just how well you can live on less. It is entirely possible to be perfectly content and have all of your needs met and satisfied by living in a simple and frugal manner, no great sacrifices required. A vow of voluntary simplicity can bring a sense of inner peace and certainly less financial pressure.
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Written on
November 11, 2008 by
SusanC
This week’s Recycled Note Of The Week comes from Ecojot, a Canadian based environmentally friendly stationary line designed by Carolyn Gavin.
The paper comprising all Ecojot’s cards, notebooks, agendas, and file folders are created from 100% post-consumer recycled content, which means no new trees are ever used in their creation and printing process.
The three notebooks above came in a set I found at Powell’s, but there are many other colorful and eco-centric designs on Ecojot’s website. I liked these because they were simple and perfectly pocket or purse-sized, while also rocking three re-purposed mantras which make them not only great for list-making, but as a thoughtful and eco-friendly gift, too.
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Autumn brings not only a rash of holiday events, but birthday parties for my two sons. So when I started thinking about presents, favors and hostess gifts, I tried to put on my thinking cap (Sister Carolyn would be proud!) and get creative.
Halloween was a breeze. Despite my husband’s protests, we gave out locally produced apples from Nichols Farm purchased at our local Green City Market. Whew! Something I could believe in, an item my kids actually prefer over candy, and used dollars to benefit a local business. Perfect! No plastic crap made in another country to mindlessly buy to give.
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I am, by no means, perfect when it comes to green living.
There are many, many things I know I can easily replace in my home that consume energy. I can easily do more.
So why don’t I? Because I’m used to convenience. I like my food processor and my coffee maker. I love my vacuum and my lawnmower. I had once made a vow to begin replacing items in my home with green equivalents, if or when they broke down or got used up. Old habits die hard. My first instinct is to head to Walmart and pick up a replacement at a very low, low price.
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Written on
November 6, 2008 by
SusanC
The Home Depot is running a “Save Money. Save Energy. Win Big!” video contest until midnight PST on Sunday, November 9th. The contest winner will receive a $5,000 Home Depot gift card and up to $2,000 for installed insulation or radiant barrier products from The Home Depot Home Services.
How to win these awesome eco-prizes?
Just shoot a short video to show how you are saving money and helping the environment by making your home more energy efficient, and enter it at www.homedepot.com/youtube. That’s it!
The videos should focus on conserving energy in your home and addressing issues to prevent high energy bills – such as the use of dimmer switches, ceiling fans, water conservation and/or insulation.
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